Limited initial special use tape cassette with unlimited conventional use thereafter

Abstract

A limited use tape cassette comprising a housing enclosing a tape spooled to pass from a rotatable supply reel to a rotatable take-up reel during tape play, and from the take-up reel to the supply reel during tape rewind. A follower arm is pivotally mounted on the housing and is biased to engage spooled tape on the one of the reels, preferably the supply reel. An erase arm is pivotally mounted on the housing and is movably and releasably connected to the follower arm. The erase arm has a tape erase head thereon and is biased toward the take-up reel. Upon predetermined movement of the follower arm which results from predetermined tape movement between the reels, the erase arm is released from the follower arm to move the erase head into engagement with the tape on the take-up reel to erase it as it is being rewound onto the supply reel. After the erased tape is rewound onto the supply reel, the erase arm moves the erase head to an inoperative position to enable the erased tape to be reused.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A limited use tape cassette comprising: 
       a housing enclosing a tape spooled to pass from a rotatable supply reel to a rotatable take-up reel during tape play, and from said take-up reel to said supply reel during tape rewind;  
       a follower arm pivotally mounted on said housing and being biased to engage spooled tape on one of said reels; and  
       an erase arm pivotally mounted on said housing and being movably and releasably connected to said follower arm, said erase arm being biased toward said take-up reel and having a tape erase head thereon;  
       whereby upon predetermined movement of said follower arm resulting from predetermined tape movement between said reels, said erase arm is released from said follower arm to move said erase head into engagement with the tape on said take-up reel to erase it as it is being rewound onto said supply reel;  
       said follower arm having a track therein, said erase arm having a pin connected thereto, and said pin being positioned in said track for slidable movement therein.  
     
     
       2. The tape cassette of  claim 1  wherein said follower arm is biased to engage spooled tape on said supply reel. 
     
     
       3. The tape cassette of  claim 1  wherein said follower arm is pivotally mounted on said housing near its proximal end and is positioned to engage said tape near its distal end. 
     
     
       4. The tape cassette of  claim 3  wherein said erase arm is pivotally mounted on said housing near its proximal end and said erase head is located at the distal end thereof. 
     
     
       5. The tape cassette of  claim 1  wherein said track has an exit opening through which said pin is movable to release said erase arm from said follower arm after said predeteremined movement thereof. 
     
     
       6. The tape cassette of  claim 5  wherein said pin has an enlarged end on the side of said track opposite to that of said erase arm to prevent inadvertent removal of said pin from said track. 
     
     
       7. The tape cassette of  claim 5  wherein said track has spaced generally circumferential portions and generally radial portions extending between said circumferential portions. 
     
     
       8. The tape cassette of  claim 1  wherein said follower arm is biased to engage spooled tape on said supply reel and said erase arm is biased toward said take-up reel by a spring. 
     
     
       9. A limited use tape cassette comprising: a housing enclosing a tape spooled to pass from a rotatable supply reel to a rotatable take-up reel during tape play, and from said take-up reel to said supply reel during tape rewind; 
       a follower arm pivotally mounted on said housing and being biased to engage spooled tape on one of said reels; and  
       an erase arm pivotally mounted on said housing and being movably and releasably connected to said follower arm, said erase arm being biased toward said take-up reel and having a tape erase head thereon;  
       whereby upon predetermined movement of said follower arm resulting from predetermined tape movement between said reels, said erase arm is released from said follower arm to move said erase head into engagement with the tape on said take-up reel to erase it as it is being rewound onto said supply reel;  
       said erase arm being constructed to be movable without any external intervention of the user to move said erase head to an inoperative position after said erased tape is fully rewound onto said supply reel, thereby enabling said erased tape to be reused.  
     
     
       10. A limited use tape cassette comprising: 
       a housing enclosing a tape spooled to pass from a rotatable supply reel to a rotatable take-up reel during tape play, and from said take-up reel to said supply reel during tape rewind;  
       a follower arm pivotally mounted on said housing and being biased to engage spooled tape on one of said reels; and  
       an erase arm pivotally mounted on said housing and being movably and releasably connected to said follower arm, said erase arm being biased toward said take-up reel and having a tape erase head thereon;  
       whereby upon predetermined movement of said follower arm resulting from predetermined tape movement between said reels, said erase arm is released from said follower arm to move said erase head into engagement with the tape on said take-up reel to erase it as it is being rewound onto said supply reel;  
       said follower arm being pivotally mounted on said housing near its proximal end and being positioned to engage said tape near its distal end; and  
       said follower arm having a track therein near said proximal end thereof, said erase arm having a pin connected thereto near the mid-portion thereof, and said pin being positioned in said track for slidable movement therein.  
     
     
       11. The tape cassette of  claim 10  wherein said erase arm is pivotally connected to said housing at the proximal end thereof, and said mid-portion thereof is offset from said proximal end. 
     
     
       12. The tape cassette of  claim 11  wherein said follower arm is biased to abut spooled tape on said supply reel. 
     
     
       13. A limited use tape cassette comprising: 
       a housing enclosing a tape spooled to pass from a rotatable supply reel to a rotatable take-up reel during tape play, and from said take-up reel to said supply reel during tape rewind;  
       a follower arm pivotally mounted on said housing near its proximal end and being biased to engage at its distal end spooled tape on said supply reel; and  
       an erase arm pivotally mounted on said housing near its proximal end and being movably and releasably connected to said follower arm, said erase arm being biased toward said take-up reel and having a tape erase head on the distal end thereof;  
       whereby upon predetermined movement of said follower arm resulting from predetermined tape movement between said reels, said erase arm is released from said follower arm to move said erase head into engagement with the tape on said take-up reel to erase it as it is being rewound onto said supply reel;  
       said follower arm having a track therein near said proximal end thereof, said erase arm having a pin connected thereto near the mid-portion thereof, and said pin being positioned in said track for slidable movement therein.  
     
     
       14. The tape cassette of  claim 13  wherein said track has an exit opening through which said pin is movable to release said erase arm from said follower arm after said predetermined movement thereof. 
     
     
       15. The tape cassette of  claim 14  wherein said pin has an enlarged end on the side of said track opposite to that of said erase arm to prevent inadvertent removal of said pin from said track. 
     
     
       16. The tape cassette of  claim 14  wherein said track has spaced generally circumferential portions and generally radial portions extending between said circumferential portions. 
     
     
       17. The tape cassette of  claim 13  wherein a spring biases said follower arm to engage said tape and biases said erase arm toward said take-up reel. 
     
     
       18. A method for limiting the use of tape cassette having a supply reel and a take-up reel, said method comprising the steps of: 
       (a) following a radial dimension of spooled tape on one of said supply reels during tape play with a pivoted follower arm;  
       (b) using movement of said follower arm to release a pivoted erase arm releasably connected thereto and having an erase head, after an initial period of tape play;  
       (c) using movement of said erase arm to engage tape on the take-up reel with said erase head to erase said tape as it is being rewound onto the supply reel; and  
       (d) without any external intervention of the user, moving said erase arm and erase head to an inoperative position after the tape is erased to enable the tape to be used to record other subject matter.  
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  wherein said follower arm follows a radial dimension of tape on said supply reel. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein a spring is used to bias the follower arm into engagement with the tape on the supply reel and to bias said erase arm toward the take-up reel. 
     
     
       21. A limited use tape cassette comprising: 
       a housing enclosing a tape spooled to pass from a rotatable supply reel to a rotatable take-up reel during tape play, and from said take-up reel to said supply reel during tape rewind;  
       a follower arm pivotally mounted on said housing near its proximal end and being biased to engage at its distal end spooled tape on said supply reel; and  
       an erase arm pivotally mounted on said housing near its proximal end and being movably and releasably connected to said follower arm, said erase arm being biased toward said take-up reel and having a tape erase head on the distal end thereof;  
       whereby upon predetermined movement of said follower arm resulting from predetermined tape movement between said reels, said erase arm is released from said follower arm to move said erase head into engagement with the tape on said take-up reel to erase it as it is being rewound onto said supply reel;  
       said erase arm being constructed to be movable without any external intervention of the user to move said erase head to an inoperative position after said erased tape is fully rewound onto said supply reel, thereby enabling said erased tape to be reused.  
     
     
       22. The tape cassette of  claim 21  wherein said housing has an opening through which said erase head is visible when in said inoperative position.